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Republic of Bulgaria
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Deputy Foreign Ministers
Georg Georgiev
Petko Doykov
Milen Lyutskanov
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Georg Georgiev Petko Doykov Milen Lyutskanov
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What can or cannot do the consular services offices for you Declaring cash Travel with children under the age of 18 Crimes Emergency medical assistance and accident Arrest and criminal procedure Death abroad Urgent financial need Health insurance and medicines Travelling with pets
Issuing Bulgarian Identity Documents and Temporary Travel Documents Civil status: marriage, birth and death abroad Passport Identity Card Driving License Temporary passport
Visa for Bulgaria Visa Facilitation Agreements Visa Application Forms Studying in Bulgaria Working in Bulgaria
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Registration in the Republic of Bulgaria of the birth of children of Bulgarian citizen(s) born abroad based on documents issued by local authorities
Citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria residing abroad are under the obligation to bring or send to the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission in the relevant country, within six months after a local authority draws up a birth record for their newborn child, a certified copy or excerpt of the document, together with an application indicating their permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Alternatively, citizens may bring the legalized birth record directly to the relevant Bulgarian municipality. The birth record shall be accompanied by a certified translation into Bulgarian made by a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representative or by a translation company wherewith the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria has concluded a contract. Signatures of Bulgarian translators are authenticated at the Consular Relations Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the following address: 2 Alfred Nobel Street, Sofia.
If the document is issued in a state wherewith the Republic of Bulgaria has not concluded a legal assistance treaty explicitly waiving the requirement for legalization, the document shall be legalized through an apostille certification in accordance with Hague Convention No. 12 or certified through a stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the relevant state, which shall then be certified by the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission in that country.
A local birth record does not need to be legalized if issued in a state wherewith Bulgaria has concluded a legal assistance treaty explicitly waiving the requirement for legalization.
Parents shall submit a passport application for their child after obtaining from the relevant municipality a Bulgarian birth certificate with a Personal Identification Number entered therein.
You can find detailed information on the states which are parties to the Convention, as well as on each country's authorities issuing apostilles, on the following website: www.hcch.net
The municipality where the child's birth is to be registered shall be the municipality where the mother's permanent address is, or – in case the mother is not a Bulgarian citizen – the municipality where the father's permanent address is.
Assignment of Personal Identification Numbers and registration of Bulgarian citizens living abroad in the population registers
Every Bulgarian citizen has a Personal Identification Number (PIN) – a unique number unequivocally identifying each individual.
All newborn children obtain PINs, including those born abroad, after they are registered in the population registers in the municipality where their parents' permanent address is. The municipality shall issue a birth certificate to every newborn child, with a PIN indicated therein, based on a birth record drawn up by a local civil registry authority, which shall be translated into Bulgarian and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign document shall be delivered to the civil registry office of the relevant Bulgarian municipality in person, via an authorised person or via the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad.
A PIN shall also be assigned to any person who has obtained Bulgarian citizenship by virtue of his/her origin or by naturalisation, after he/she is registered with the Bulgarian municipality where his/her permanent address is. Any such person shall present at the relevant municipality a certified copy of a certificate of Bulgarian citizenship obtained, as issued by the Bulgarian Citizenship Directorate of the Ministry of Justice, together with an application for choice of a permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria.
A PIN shall be assigned to anyone who has restored his/her Bulgarian citizenship and chosen a permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria. Anyone who had a PIN before he/she was released of his/her Bulgarian citizenship shall have his/her PIN restored upon the restoration of his/her citizenship.
A PIN shall also be assigned to those who left the Republic of Bulgaria before the Uniform System of Civil Registration and Administrative Servicing of the Population (known by its Bulgarian acronym as ESGRAON) was introduced in 1977. Before that, they shall mandatorily undergo the process of ascertainment of Bulgarian citizenship with the Bulgarian Citizenship Directorate of the Ministry of Justice. The certificate issued by that Directorate shall be valid for one year.
The above groups of citizens shall be subject to civil registration with the relevant municipalities where their permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria is. A personal registration file (PRF) and an entry into the Population National Data Base (the electronic version of the PRF) shall be created in the relevant municipality.
Entering into civil marriage before a Bulgarian consular official abroad
Bulgarian citizens can enter into marriage abroad before a Bulgarian consular official.
Marriage between Bulgarian citizens can be entered into abroad before a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representative if the host country's law allows this.
MarriagebetweenaBulgariannationalandaforeignnationalmaybecontractedbeforeaBulgariandiplomaticorconsularrepresentative,if the right of the receiving country and the "lex patriae" (law of nationality) of the foreign national allows this.
Each Bulgarian national wishing to conclude marriage abroad, before a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representative, is advised to inform the consular officer about the presence of still another nationality apart from his/her Bulgarian nationality.
Failure to inform the consul about the presence of another nationality, apart from the Bulgarian, on behalf of the persons wishing to conclude marriage abroad, can result in non-recognition of the marriage and respectively– in creating problems for its registration in the foreign state, whose citizen is also the respective Bulgarian national wishing to conclude marriage.
Before planning marriage abroad before a diplomatic or consular representative every Bulgarian citizen shall refer to a consular official who shall provide information as to the eligibility of such marriage in the country of residence.
Before fulfilling the procedure of entering into marriage in a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representation, those who wish to enter into marriage shall have the following documents which shall be submitted to the consular official:
Medical certificate;
Birth certificate;
Identity document – of the future spouses and the witnesses;
Marital status certificate issued by the municipality of the permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Declarations that the people fill in before the marriage ceremony.
Those who want to enter into marriage abroad before a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representative must contact the Bulgarian representation which sets date and time for the marriage ceremony.
In addition the people must be informed by the consular official about any additional documents that shall be submitted in line with the Bulgarian or foreign law as well as the law of a third country, if necessary.
Registration in Bulgaria of Bulgarian citizens' civil marriages contracted abroad
Citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria residing abroad are under the obligation to bring or send to the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission in the relevant country, within six months after a local civil registry authority draws up a civil marriage certificate, a certified copy or excerpt of the document, together with an application indicating their permanent address in Bulgaria.
Alternatively, citizens may bring the legalised civil marriage certificate directly to the relevant Bulgarian municipality. The civil marriage certificate shall be accompanied by a certified translation into Bulgarian made by a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission or by a translation company wherewith the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria has concluded a contract.
If the document is issued in a state wherewith Bulgaria has not concluded a legal assistance treaty explicitly waiving the requirement for legalisation, the document shall be legalised through an apostille certification in accordance with Hague Convention No. 12 or certified through a stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the relevant state, which shall then be certified by the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission in that country.
A local civil marriage certificate does not need to be legalised if issued in a state wherewith the Republic of Bulgaria has concluded a legal assistance treaty explicitly waiving the requirement for legalisation.
Signatures of Bulgarian translators are authenticated at the Consular Relations Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the following address: 2 Alfred Nobel Street, Sofia.
The municipality where the civil marriage contracted abroad is to be registered shall be the municipality where the permanent address of the spouse who is a Bulgarian citizen is; in case both spouses are Bulgarian citizens, that shall be the municipality where the husband's permanent address is.
Registration in Bulgaria of the death of a Bulgarian citizen who has deceased abroad
The death of a Bulgarian citizen who has deceased abroad shall be registered with the municipality where that citizen's permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria is.
For that purpose, the original death certificate or a certified copy of the document issued by a local civil registry authority shall be brought or sent within six months to the relevant diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad, together with an application indicating the deceased citizen's permanent address in Bulgaria.
Alternatively, the deceased citizen's relatives may bring the legalised document directly to the relevant municipality. The document shall be accompanied by a certified translation into Bulgarian made by a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representative or by a translation company wherewith the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria has concluded a contract. Signatures of Bulgarian translators are authenticated by the Consular Relations Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the following address: 2 Alfred Nobel Street, Sofia.
If the document is issued in a state wherewith the Republic of Bulgaria has not concluded a legal assistance treaty explicitly waiving the requirement for legalisation, the document shall be legalised through an apostille certification in accordance with Hague Convention No. 12 or certified through a stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the relevant state, which shall then be certified by the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission in that country.
A local death certificate does not need to be legalised if issued in a state wherewith the Republic of Bulgaria has concluded a legal assistance treaty explicitly waiving the requirement for legalisation.
Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions abroad do not provide funding or perform any other activities related to the servicing or transporting of the deceased citizen. In case a Bulgarian citizen dies abroad, his/her relatives shall contact a funeral office/agency in the country where he/she resided, and acquaint themselves with the servicing and transporting procedures for the deceased citizen abroad.
You can find detailed information on the states which are parties to the Convention, as well as on each country's authorities issuing apostilles, at the following website: www.hcch.net
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